A Hamburger Today

Serious Sandwiches: Merguez Frites

In France, if you order a "sandwich américain," what you'll end up with is a chopped beef, hamburger-like substance, topped with french (ironic right?) fries, and stuffed into a baguette. It is unclear whether the name comes from the notion that french fries are now fully associated with America (rather than Belgium, where they are probably from), or whether the French just consider us gluttons—either way, I'm not ashamed to admit that the sandwich sounds amazing (and I'd be happy to shout that out while waving a giant American flag).

Even better though, is a variation on the sandwich américain, where the hamburger is replaced with merguez sausage, and served from a street cart. Vendors can be found dishing out the delicious merguez frites, as they're called, on the streets of Paris, from stalls at flea markets, or at the fireworks display in Carcassone, which is where Amy and Jonny from the blog We Are Never Full discovered this Moroccan inspired, French treat.

If you are here in the states, making your own is definitely easier and cheaper than flying to France in search of a street fair. The hardest part of the process is finding merguez, the spicy North African sausage that provides the sandwich its name. Desperate to re-create the experience in their Brooklyn apartment, here is the gist of Amy & Jonny's recipe.

About the author: Zach Brooks is the proprietor of Midtown Lunch, where he blogs about affordable lunchtime eats in Midtown Manhattan. The guy knows his sandwiches.

Procedure

2. Toss the sliced leeks with the flour and cornstarch. In a pan, fry the leeks with some vegetable oil for about 1 minute.

3. In heated vegetable oil, double fry the sliced potatoes until golden brown. Allow to drain on some paper towels and sprinkle with salt.

4. In a fresh baguette, brush some harissa or dijon mustard and spicy ketchup on each side of the bread. Add your grilled sausages, nestle some french fries between the sausages and the bread, and then top with some fried leeks. ENJOY!